OKLAHOMA City Thunder opened its playoff campaign in dominant fashion, overwhelming Phoenix Suns,119-84, in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series on Sunday (Monday in the Philippines) in Oklahoma City.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 25 points, including 15-of-17 free throw shooting, as the top-seeded Thunder set the tone early in their title defense.
Jalen Williams contributed 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Chet Holmgren added 16 markers and seven boards as Oklahoma City seized a 1-0 series lead.
The Suns came out strong, scoring the first five points as Oklahoma City showed early rust after a week-long layoff. But the Thunder quickly found their rhythm with a 12-2 run to surge to a 24-14 lead.
Oklahoma City maintained control in the second quarter, heading into halftime with a commanding 65-44. The gap only widened after the break as the lead went up to 97-66 heading into the final quarter.
Devin Booker finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and two assists to lead the Suns, Dillon Brooks had 18 markers, while Filipino-American guard Jalen Green tallied 17 markers.
At Detroit, Paolo Banchero had 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists to lead the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic to a 112-101 win over the top-seeded Pistons in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory for the Magic. Desmond Bane and Wendell Carter scored 17 points each and Jalen Suggs had 16.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham scored a playoff career-high 39 points and Tobias Harris added 17 for the Pistons, which has dropped 11 straight home games in the postseason.
In other results, Boston Celtics opened their series with a 123-91 rout over Philadelphia 76ers, while San Antonio Spurs prevailed over Portland Trail Blazers, 111-98, in their series opener./PN
